AKT signaling pathway activated by HIN-1 methylation in non-small cell lung cancer

The purpose of this study is to determine the epigenetic changes and function of High in Normal-1 (HIN-1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). HIN-1 expression was examined by semiquantitative RT-PCR before and after 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza) treatment in NSCLC cell lines. Promoter methylation status of HIN-1 was tested by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Effect of forced expression of HIN-1 on different key molecules of AKT signaling pathway was tested by Western Blot analysis in H157 and H23 cell lines. Promoter methylations are inversely correlated with expression of HIN-1 in eight (H23, H157, 95D, H1299, H358, H1752, H460, A549) of ten NSCLC cell lines and re-expression was observed by 5-aza treatment. We then tested promoter methylation of HIN-1 in primary NSCLC tissues. Methylation was detected in 73 out of 152 (48%) NSCLC cases. Forced expression of HIN-1in NSCLC cell lines inhibited colony formation and induce apoptosis. Furthermore, overexpression of HIN-1 reduces the expression of phosphorated-AKT (p-AKT), c-myc, Bcl-2 and cyclinD1 while Bax was increased. Our data suggest that HIN-1 is a potential tumor suppressor gene in NSCLC, silenced by promoter hypermethylation and negatively regulate AKT signaling pathway.